Singapore:Vaping would only encourage the young to smoke

24 February 2018:

The suggestion to allow e-cigarettes in a limited and controlled way (Is ‘controlled vaping’ the answer, by Dr Lee Pheng Soon ; Feb 22) does not address the fact that whether e-cigarettes are less harmful or more harmful than cigarettes, they are still harmful.

Currently, vaping devices could still be obtained if one had the resources.

Allowing e-cigarettes to be sold in pharmacies in a controlled setting only increases the avenue for e-cigarettes to be obtained.

This will make it easier for children and the young to gain access to e-cigarettes.

This group of people are the most vulnerable. They are young, curious, still developing and are still not yet addicted.

The selling point for vaping is it is less harmful than actual cigarettes for die-hard smokers.

Unfortunately, this same selling point also attracts the young who think it is, therefore, okay to try it, not realising how addictive nicotine is.

Between helping entrenched smokers to quit and preventing our young from picking up smoking, I believe the latter is most crucial and urgent.

I urge the authorities to help Singapore become a smoke-free nation by greatly reducing the number of places that are given the permit to sell cigarettes.